13 Nov 2019
Kuala Lumpur, 8th November 2016 – Still in the spirit of Deepavali, The Budimas Charitable Foundation organised a Deepavali merriment for over 165 orphans and underprivileged children aged from 3 to 18 years old along with their caretakers from 5 charitable homes that took place in Pusat Komuniti Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar. The homes that attended were Pusat Jagaan Siddhartan, Pusat Jagaan Anak-anak Yatim Sai Pandian, Rumah Kebajikan Anbu Illam, Pusat Kebajikan Kanak-kanak Kajang and Pusat Jagaan Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak Budimas Orion. The event was officiated by Ms Anne Rajasaikaran, Principal Officer of The Budimas Charitable Foundation.
As Deepavali is the festival of lights, the event began by the lighting of the customary Indian broze oil lamp called “Kuttu Valaikku”, by the trustees of the foundation. It was then followed by a dance performance and a musical number by the children of Pusat Jagaan Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak Budimas Orion.
The colourfully decked out children from all 5 homes then took part in the “Agal Vilaku (Earth Lamp) Decoration Competition” where the most creative and beautifully decorated piece won the competition. Light has always played a key role in Indian culture; for generations, Indians have used light to celebrate religious events. Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights, is the greatest example of how special the relationship between Indian culture and light is. The spirit of teamwork could be seen amongst these children as they compete creatively to decorate the earth lamp.